🎣 Getting the tench campaign underway at last
After last summer’s enjoyable sessions, I’ve been keen to get a tench campaign underway.
I went to the same lake the first week in March, when psychologically it’s spring, but I was definitely jumping the gun.
The tincas hadn’t stirred from their winter slumbers and so I left it a few weeks, but again, nothing.
I did a couple of further visits, as we moved into April, but still no sign of fish.
Now we’re in May, the days are longer and the weather has improved, I returned once more to the lake in question.
As I walked to the swim, I saw several groups of feeding bubbles, something I had not encountered on the previous visits.
I was feeling very confident and that’s where the video picks up from.
The fish, by the way, was 6lb 9 1/2 ounces, my biggest tench of the year so far and I fished at 30 metres over brown crumb and corn.
Tackle: Fox Barbel Special 1.5 test curve rod and an Okuma Zeon reel.
The reel was loaded with 6lb Maxima Chameleon, with a six-inch hook-length created by a small shot and an 8mm bead. Above that was a 3/8 ounce lead.
The bait was a single grain of corn on a size 10 Drennan Super Specialist hook.
Nature notes: Mallard with five tiny ducklings and another with four larger ones. Ring-necked parakeet calling in flight over the lake.
Once home, before changing I mowed the back and front lawns.
Then it was off to Sedgley for a blood test ahead of my NHS MOT.
If you’re young, you won’t know about that, but when you get to my age it’s a fairly regular thing, where they give you a health check.